


Survivors

by Crazyaniknowit



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (there's two kuro's okie?), Adventures, Banter, Eventual Smut, F/F, Falling In Love, M/M, Macabre Humor, Rating subject to change, Shirocest, Slow Burn, some gore, unconventional romance, when you're hanging out with yourself you enjoy your own humor, which means
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-06-03 01:02:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19453168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazyaniknowit/pseuds/Crazyaniknowit
Summary: As we know, Shiro’s clones were lost to the free fall that almost killed Kuron and Keith.Afterward, when Voltron disappears from the face of the universe...two of Shiro's clones survive.Together, they go on a journey to find Keith, to find Voltron, and to fight the chaos that descends upon the galaxies in the years that come to pass. Waiting for Voltron to return.They find something in each other.





	1. Prologue: Waking Up

**Author's Note:**

> AHhh I'm excited! My first Shirocest fic! 
> 
> And I had to make it a longfic hahahahah
> 
> Okay so I have this mostly planned out, chapters outlined and shit so it shouldn't be too long between chapters but you never know. 
> 
> Long story short, let's have some clones fall in love eh?

He comes to life in a kaleidoscope of color and rivulets of pain, gasping for air where there is none and choking on whatever he is suspended in as he thrashes and kicks and opens newborn eyes to find the world too much to bear. He's trapped, and all he can think is _'Escape. Escape.'_ because that is exactly what he needs to do. And so he kicks, with limbs that feel like jelly and yet have a strength hidden about them that cracks the magenta glass. His lungs burn, the solution he is floating in makes his eyes sting, but the glass bursts after only three sharp kicks.  
  
He comes tumbling out with a gush of fluid, not at all unlike birth, limbs collapsing under the effects of gravity suddenly taking root and his throat run ragged with retching coughs and gags. He must cough out a _gallon_ of the gelatinous liquid that he had been cocooned in before he can breath with only the slightest burning in his throat. He lays in the puddle of gooey, translucent liquid and shattered, sharp bits of glass that cut through his skin-tight suit into his skin and make him hiss as he twitches with the need to move.  
  
Beyond his own breath it is eerily silent, he realizes after minutes of laying still. He pries eyes that are trying to crust shut open, blinking against the ache of light and the faint sting of the liquid still lingering. It is a dark hallway, open with no roof and a stunning view of a planet bright white and ethereal below. It hurts to look at, but he can't look _away_.  
  
There are tattered remnants of what was once something artificial. This was a base, that much he knows, and he hauls himself up to lean on an elbow, wincing and gasping at the cut of glass and coughing as he brings in more air.  
  
It's then that it all hits him.  
  
_Everything_ , all of his life comes back to him after his existence had felt so muted and distant save for these brief moments of consciousness. This is familiar, this has happened to him before.  
  
It plays like a movie, sped up and yet coherent to him, an information dump that makes him gasp and coaxes panic from somewhere deep inside his very skin.  
  
Everything comes to an abrupt halt, no more information, after Keith slices his arm away. But not before the echoing clarity of confession reverberates through his skull, makes his heart seize with warmth, delight...regret...pain...what feels like dying.  
  
Keith...  
  
What happened? Why...is he still here? He was fighting him...wasn't he?  
  
What happened?  
  
Shiro pushes himself up, heaving for air as he sits in a tired slump and plucks little shards of glass from his arms and his chest.  
  
Keith wouldn't have left him here.  
  
So why is he _here?_  
  
Shiro watches droplets of gooey fluid drip from his chin, landing softly in the puddle he still sits in. He looks at his arm, brows furrowed. Keith...Keith cut his arm off. Why is his arm still there? Why is it his _actual arm?_

He glances up at the cylinder he had been trapped in, and it takes him a moment, but he remembers that he's seen that before.  
  
Pods.  
  
He's seen hundreds of them.  
  
He's seen what's inside.  
  
He _is_ what's inside.  
  
Shiro turns wide, horrified eyes down the hall, but there's a cutoff of the platform only a ways away, just enough that the rest of the pods are just... _gone_. Save for one or two, but unlike his pod, neither of them have their lights on, neither of their accompanying wires and tubes are alight.  
  
He attempts to stand, eager and desperate, though he slips more than once, luckily the shoes of his suit have traction, and he stands with more wobbling than a newborn foal. It takes a moment to sink in, and his eyes sting for a whole new reason when it becomes clear.  
  
These are his first steps.  
  
It pulls a gasp, almost a laugh, hysterical as the sad smile on his lips as he takes one agonizing step after the other. The pods are eight steps away, leaning precariously close to the edge, and Shiro leans against the wall to keep from slipping, clutching tight with quivering fingers as he peers at the contents of the first pod.  
  
He immediately reels back, horrified to see his own face, his own body, so far gone. He gags and he stumbles to the ground, heaving bile and empty stomach onto the grates of floor, barely anything, but it leaves his mouth bitter. There's grief and guilt welling up inside him as he looks up at the pod once more, eyes finally allowed to pool with tears. Because...  
  
What if that was _him?_  
  
What if he had been one of so many to not make it?  
  
Shiro covers his mouth as he chokes on a sob and shakes his head, "I'm sorry." he murmurs to the air. There's a defined section of glass missing from the bottom corner of this pod, the liquid preserving him having leaked out over the course of time. And the tubes and wires keeping him alive are inactive.  
  
He's afraid to see the second pod, tilted further on its side and at this more calculated glance he can see it has debris impaling it. Though perhaps...?  
  
" _Please_..." he says as he shuffles forward, wary of the drop-off only so many feet away. He glances up and he gasps in awe when he finds this clone to be almost immaculate, save for the metal rod that barely missed anything important, it did stab him, shallow, in his side. He might even be _alive_ , there's a flicker of light on the pod when Shiro touches it, unlike the previous, and Shiro's eyes search for something to open this one, hopefully less violently.  
  
There's a lever on the side that he hauls himself to his feet to pull, and the liquid drains rapidly in a loud gush that makes him stumble backward as the clone inside jerks, features twisted.  
  
_He's alive!_  
  
"You're _alive!"_ Shiro exclaims as he plants his hands on the glass, smearing small trails of blood and smiling and crying because he's getting this one out. The lever is pulled once more, and the glass slides to the inside, breaking the rod on its way, and that makes the other clone wake with a strangled shout of pain.  
  
Shiro catches him as he falls, clutching to his side and gasping and panting for air. It's similar to what he experienced, he knows, aside from the rod lodged in this one's ribs.  
  
"Hey, _hey_...it's okay, don't squirm." Shiro says, hoarse and shaking as he gives his own crazed, terrified silver eyes a wobbling smile to settle upon. "Hey...you'll remember, it takes a moment. Just-" his voice breaks and he strokes a wet strand of dark hair away from this one's forehead. "Just breathe, don't panic..." he pauses to add, "I'm so _sorry_."  
  
The other clone stares up at him, a sweat breaking out as his skin dries and his gaze darting around as he tries to figure out his surroundings, and Shiro sees it happen, he sees him realize. He suddenly jolts and Shiro hears a wheeze of Keith's name, and then he goes utterly still before a hand reaches up to stroke over Shiro's cheek, and then his breath hitches and he almost curls in upon himself. If it weren't for the metal in his side he might have.  
  
Shiro knows not to pull it out yet, he'll do more damage than good. It's among the first things he learned back in the field medic class at the Garrison. Basic knowledge all the pilots needed.  
  
" _Hey_..."  
  
Shiro almost startles at his own voice talking to him, and he has to steel himself to remember just how strange this is, how he is a clone of himself talking to another clone of himself. What fucked up, crazy reality is this, anyway?  
  
"Hey." Shiro murmurs, "Don't talk too much, I...I remember leaving the shuttle."  
  
"Me too." the other says, grimacing in pain.  
  
"I'll go...I need to see if there's something to stop the bleeding once I pull this." Shiro traces fingers around the outside of the clotted wound. The man in his arms shivers.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"You'll be alright."  
  
At that he has to blink at the familiar, self-depreciating laugh he always gives.  
  
" _Sure_ I will." the other chuckles in a hiss, "I'm just... _ah_...just _impaled_ , I'll be fine." he turns his head and smiles, panting at the pain, "What is it they say, 'tis but a scratch?"  
  
Shiro sighs and lets himself smile, because of course his own humor would be funny to him. "Don't wander off." He says as he gently lays the other down.  
  
"Where-" the other winces and hisses again, clutching in a white-knuckled grip onto his own thigh, "Where am I g-gonna _go?"_  
  
"Shut up." Shiro says, still smiling, and stands, shaking. "I'll be right back..." he pauses to take a sharp breath, lip quivering, "Please just...be _okay_."  
  
The other goes solemn at his desperation, because he understands it. He doesn't want to be alone, not like this.  
  
"Okay."  
  
Shiro's smile returns and he heaves a sigh as he gingerly takes a step, and then another, and four more before he looks back and sees silver eyes watching him... _trusting_ him. He's not surprised, he knows he will never give up on himself.

Definitely not in any sense this literal.  
  
It takes him a long time to walk there, or maybe it's a short walk and he's just so new to it that it takes him some time. Nonetheless, he's relieved to find and enter the shuttle. There's just the right amount of room for him and the other, hell, they could live in this if they wanted. Shiro hums at the thought, if they're comfortable with sleeping on the metal floor, that is.  
  
He finds the first aid kit, vaguely able to read the Altean letters after so long spent on the Castle...  
  
After the _real_ Shiro spent so long there.  
  
He corrects his thoughts with a sigh. He finds what he needs, a staunching liquid that he remembers Coran would use on wounds while they waited for the pods to finish maintenance...and they needed maintenance a lot.  
  
Shiro doesn't want to waste time walking back when he has a perfectly good shuttle, so he settles himself in the pilot's seat, operating on muscle memory. He flies around the outside, unencumbered by the platform that was once there, and lands himself just beyond where his only companion lies waiting. He's certain he spots mild surprise on his other's face when he flies over him. He stumbles out of the back ramp and falls to his knees beside him, kit in hand.  
  
"Told you I'd be right back." he says with an assuring smile that his other huffs a fond laugh at.  
  
"I doubt I'd lie to me."  
  
Shiro grips the rod and glances up to see what he expects, fear and pain shielded behind resignation. It's a familiar face, one he grew to know as his norm when he was a teenager. _"Breathe?"_ he suggests, and when the man takes a breath he yanks.  
  
He flinches at his own voice screaming like that. God if it isn't _awful_ , but brief. The gush of blood is _not_ , however, brief. His other pales rather quickly, and Shiro's hands shake as he pulls out the tube of staunching solution. It thickens almost instantly as he pours it into the wound, and a strangled, almost gurgling moan is his response. Shiro shudders at the unpleasant sound and turns his attention to where his own eyes are glazed over and staring at the rocky ceiling.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
Those eyes blink under a sluggish nod, and Shiro sighs in relief. He's not really sure why he feels like hugging him, but he does, mindless of the stain of thick blood as he hauls him up partially onto his lap and buries his face in his neck. His other grunts and hisses as he clutches a slippery hand into the fabric of his suit.  
  
" _Ow_." he rasps, and Shiro chuckles, watery and unapologetic.  
  
"What do we do now?" he whispers against clammy skin.  
  
His other heaves a stuttering sigh, and he pulls back to help him into a wavering sit. He pants heavily, groaning as he braces his arm against the grates below them. " _Ah_...the shuttle." he says, and Shiro nods, "We should find someone...someone to help with this." he strokes a finger over the rubbery solution in his wound.  
  
"Of course." Shiro says as he resettles himself on the ground, "But...I don't know where we _are_."  
  
"Me neither." his other says, "Haggar...didn't really tell us anything."  
  
Shiro flinches at the way he says _'us'._ It's a blaring reminder that they are all copies, and it hurts to think about. It hurts to know that they hurt Keith.  
  
His pained cry as that blade burnt a pink crescent into his skin - the scent of burning flesh - exists in his memory as if he were the same one to do it.  
  
He looks up at his other and sees that he's thinking the same. Because of course he is. He hums as he thinks about that, and his next words are halting, stuttering, even.  
  
"Takashi?"  
  
The other startles as if he's been struck, eyes somewhat wild as his head jerks up so that he might meet Shiro's gaze.  
  
"What....why would you-"  
  
"I need _something_ to call you."  
  
He goes silent, contemplating, and then he huffs a laugh, "Does that mean you have dibs on Shiro?"  
  
Shiro smiles and tilts his head as he furrows his brow, "To be honest, I woke thinking I was him, but knowing I'm _not_...I might not use it." he murmurs.  
  
"How do you think _I_ feel?"  
  
Shiro blinks at him, and he offers him a smile overflowing with understanding. He's got to get used to the fact that they think exactly alike. Maybe that will change with time, but for now, they're fresh, they don't have new memories save for what has been fed to them their entire existence.  
  
"So..." he says, careful, "What do you _want_ to be called?"  
  
His other blinks up at him, and then casts his gaze beyond, toward the planet below, to the stars, and he gives a sigh.  
  
"I don't know..." he runs a hand through his hair, still slick with the fluid he was suspended in. "It's stupid."  
  
Shiro laughs, "We're the same, I won't think it's stupid." he says with a lopsided grin.  
  
His other smiles, gaze still cast to the stars, "I _like_ Takashi...but it feels wrong to steal it from the real me." he says, and Shiro stills as he realizes that they're actually thinking along different lines. He hadn't expected him to still be thinking of Takashi.  
  
"I was going to call myself Kuron." he says in a shrug, and his other gives a startled sort of laugh.  
  
_"Clone?"_ he gasps, clutching at his side, "Really?"  
  
He only shrugs again, "Not as if any aliens will know what it means."  
  
"I think it's a little harsh. A cruel reminder." his other says, and Shiro hums. "How about just Kuro?"  
  
Shiro smiles, "Okay...yeah that's...actually better."  
  
His other grins and Shiro...no...he's Kuro now, feels a little warmer for it.  
  
"And you?" Kuro prompts.  
  
His other gives another sigh as he furrows his brow, "Remember what Ojī-chan used to call us?"  
  
"Kashi." Kuro nods.  
  
And his other nods, "Call me Kashi?"  
  
Kuro exhales a breath with the name tacked on, testing it on his lips as he considers. And then he smiles once more, "I think that's a perfect name." he says, and Kashi glances at the shuttle.  
  
"Now..." he whispers, and Kuro helps him when he gestures to stand. Kashi grunts and wheezes as he clutches onto Kuro, both on unsteady legs, as they start walking toward the shuttle. "Now we need to find Keith."  
  
Kuro knew he would say that, he wants the same. He wants to find Keith and he wants to make sure he's okay, wants him to know he's _sorry_ , and that they never meant to deceive him in the first place. He wants to know what happened to their other clone, what happened to Keith, and the rest of the Paladins, Lotor...just how long since the battle have they been here? It's so much information that they want... _need_ , but don't have.  
  
So yes, Kuro agrees, they'll search for Keith. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm excited for this one! Next chapter is written so it'll just take me some time to edit and post ;)


	2. Chapter 1: Orientate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to collect their bearings and set out into the universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This came out to a perfect 8,000 words when I did the word count and that's the most satisfying thing ever lol.
> 
> Anyway, let's figure out how things work, eh?
> 
> I had to make a little vague currency system for this and I was so mad but I did it anyway cause I'm determined to write this XD

Kuro sets the ship on autopilot, sitting back and stretching until his back cracks. It's been three days, and by now he's familiar with the way his stomach angrily burns with the need for food. He knows Kashi is worse off than he, due to his wound. He's been somewhat stronger as of late, but his frame is beginning to shrink, just as Kuro's has. Their suits gone just slightly baggy.  
  
Kuro turns his head to check back on Kashi where he sleeps on the bench, covered in a thin shock blanket from the kit. They've alternated sleep schedules, and they've barely talked beyond the brief information passing back and forth when they switch. Most of which is just _"Nothing yet. You okay?”_  
  
Kashi's turn is in three hours, and he'll be on for a full twelve because they are both stubborn as hell and he _will not_ budge on the matter. Kuro can't help but smile, what does he expect arguing with _himself?_  
  
There's a communication blip on the scanner and he misses it the first time, staring blankly into the slowly passing space. The second time it happens he jolts and sits up straight, hesitating for a mere second before he accepts the communique.  
  
A robotic voice booms through the ship and he hears Kashi gasp and there's a thump. Kuro glances back to see Kashi sitting up with a wince and looking toward the cockpit blearily from where he has fallen in a bundle onto the floor.  
  
"Yrxi Port, heading 453, mark 12. Identify vessel."  
  
Kuro gapes like a fish, unable to come up with a response right away. "Ahh...Altean Shuttle... _1?"_ _  
_  
"Intent to dock?"  
  
Kuro glances back at Kashi, and he gives an insistent nod. "Yes." Kuro says.  
  
"Proceed to Dock 2Mknx-3. Docking fee of 500 GAC after the first varga."  
  
Kuro heaves a breathy sigh as Kashi limps into the pilot's seat beside him, lips parted and looking ahead with a muted sort of glee. Kuro understands it, there's always something breathtaking in seeing a new planet for the first time. While true that they've seen hundreds...that is only the case in their memories. This is the first planet that's graced their eyes since they left their birthplace.  
  
It's pale blue with icy continents and littered with dark oceans...cold then. It's not visibly habited save for the condensed, cluttered dark of a city that stretches out to space in a strange clusterfuck of branching civilization. It actually spans the distance between this planet and what looks like a small space station in orbit.  
  
As they approach Kuro hums a laugh through his nose, and Kashi turns a curious gaze upon him.  
  
"I have _no_ idea where the dock is." Kuro says as he gives him a lopsided, wry grin.  
  
Kashi shakes his head and crosses his arms, long since having given up on hiding his wincing. It's easy for Kuro to see through _his_ _own_ tactics of projecting normalcy, after all.  
  
A small, automated drone approaches them, beeping in their communications and flashing an angry red, "This vessel is to dock at 2Mknx-3. Please correct course."  
  
Kuro and Kashi chuckle.  
  
"We don't know where Dock 2..Mx...whatever it's called _is_." Kashi tries, "Can you show us?"  
  
The drone hovers a moment, and then its lights go blue and it gives a staticky, "Altean Shuttle 1, follow."  
  
It turns and flies away.  
  
Kuro laughs as he mutes the communication and shares a grin with Kashi. "I feel so sloppy." he says, steering to follow the drone.  
  
"You're new to this." Kashi says, eyes wide as takes in the strange, steampunk-esque beauty of the structure before them. "It's so _cool_."  
  
"It is." Kuro says, docking the shuttle after a short flight around the back of the section they had first approached. It's about halfway up the structure that spans from the planet below, inside a thin blue field that Kuro assumes is an artificial atmosphere. "Now..." he continues as he settles the shuttle in its dock, and Kashi can barely glance his way, he's so immersed in their surroundings. "Kashi." he taps him on the shoulder, and he blinks before he turns his way.  
  
Kuro glances down at where he's still clutching to a half-bandaged wound. "Look...we...we need to get you tended to."  
  
Kashi nods, "Yeah."  
  
"And they said it'll cost money to keep the ship docked for over a varga." Kuro turns in his seat to face Kashi completely, "We don't _have_ any money."  
  
Kashi stares at him for a moment as realization dawns on him, and then he heaves a sigh, "I completely forgot about that." he scoffs and shakes his head, "I was so used to getting the bare necessities as a paladin I started taking it for granted."  
  
Kuro rests his elbows on his knees, tapping his foot nervously, "Yeah. We got spoiled, didn't we?"  
  
Kashi looks out the canopy and hums, "Well...we...could sell the shuttle."  
  
Kuro is immediately at attention, _"What?"_  
  
"I know, I know, it's faster than anything we'll find here, but it's got no sleeping space, no storage. We'll go stir-crazy in here. And it's exceedingly valuable. No one else has one of these, we could get a lot for it." he says, "We need more than food and a doctor's visit. We'll need clothes and weapons, a better ship, one with combat abilities." Kashi rationalizes, "We'll be heading into dodgy territory, hell, we don't even know if _this_ place will stay friendly if they find out we're looking for Voltron."  
  
Kuro nods, surprised that didn't come to him. "I _was_ gonna ask around." he says in a demure chuckle, "I can't tell if it's a good thing we're already thinking differently or if it's scary."  
  
Kashi smiles, "I think it's good. It means we're...not strictly the same person. In some small sense."  
  
Kuro frowns at that, tilting his head, "That makes you feel _better?_ Knowing we're not exactly the same?"  
  
"Makes me feel more like I'm not a slave to what we were made for." Kashi says, gaze downcast. "Just because I'm a copy of a person, doesn't mean I'm chained to that identity."  
  
Kuro understands that. Already they were both struggling with identity crises, and the knowledge that they are beginning to become their own person is an immense relief.  
  
"So we sell the ship, get some supplies, clothes, weapons, and a bigger ship." Kuro sits back, "Should we both go out or should I go alone?"  
  
Kashi straightens despite the obvious pain he's in, "What makes you think I'd just sit here?"  
  
Kuro smiles as he claps his hands onto his knees and stands, "Fair point. But I'm not gonna lie..." he says as he glances down at himself and then at Kashi, "We look like shit."  
  
Kashi offers him an eye roll and turns to descend the back ramp when it opens. There's nothing of importance in the shuttle, so there's nothing to take with them. Kuro follows him, moving to grasp his arm and gently support him in a way he hopes isn't perceived as coddling.  
  
He knows that, in general, they hate being coddled.  
  
Kashi is mildly distracted by the bustle of the docks, and Kuro is on the lookout for someone he can try and sell to. They only have so long before they need to pay their parking fee. He's just glad he hasn't spotted any Unilu at this particular station. Now _that_ would be a hassle to bargain. He guides Kashi to sit on a bench beside their parking space, sitting next to him and waiting, wondering if anyone will come by in interest. And so far Kuro has seen a lot of curious glances. It's no surprise, an Altean shuttle hasn't been seen by most quadrants in over ten millennia. The only ones who have are those that Voltron happened to visit.  
  
Kashi exhales shakily and Kuro follows his gaze to a stand selling some sort of meat, and it makes him tighten his hold on Kashi in a soothing gesture.  
  
" _Yeah_." he murmurs, and Kashi blinks before he turns a sheepish smile his way.  
  
"Someone _better_ come along soon. Before I do something drastic."  
  
Kuro chuckles softly, "I was thinking something similar."  
  
They wait for the better half of an hour before someone approaches them.  
  
The first glance Kuro gets makes him go stiff, wanting to leap to his feet in a fighting stance. Kashi tenses beside him in kind. Granted he knows that while the alien's species is familiar, he can't just go off of appearance alone. Still, the alien reminds him _eerily_ of one of Lotor's generals...Ezor, he thinks her name was. Same coloring and everything, even if it's a much older alien.  
  
He comes to a stop, glancing at the ship, and then at the two of them sitting rather miserably on their bench. "This your shuttle?"  
  
Kuro nods, uncertain.  
  
"Fine looking thing." he says, approaching in a casual sway. "And, uh, what brings you to Yrxi Port?"  
  
Kuro shifts in place and then he stands, "Looking to get some supplies. Maybe sell this ship."  
  
"Ain't a _ship_. Nothing near it." the alien says, "But I figure you could fetch a good price for it. Looks rather... _advanced_." he turns a strange, calculating side-eye on Kuro and he's starting to feel like his immediate hunch was right. There's a weird vibe off this guy.  
  
" _Yeah_." Kuro says, crossing his arms and looking around cautiously. "Are you interested?"  
  
The alien hums with a smile and Kuro feels a chill run down his spine at his next words.  
  
"You know, you look familiar. The both of you, in fact."  
  
Kashi seems to pale even further, and Kuro is immediately on guard.  
  
"We get that a lot."  
  
The alien doesn't seem like he's dropped the subject, even if he doesn't address it further, and he just shifts his weight to his opposite hip. "I'd give you five credits for it." he gestures to the ship.  
  
Kuro purses his lips, realizing only belatedly that he doesn't know how their currency works, "That-"  
  
_"Five credits?!"_ _  
_  
All gazes snap to a new alien in the conversation.  
  
They’re tall and thin, with spindly arms and...four legs? How does that even work? Kuro doesn't know, he just knows that they are approaching them, rather flustered. They turn their gaze upon the first alien and scoff, already-enormous eyes wide as they begin a rant.  
  
"Do you even know what this shuttle _is?_ What it's worth? You can barely buy a _standard_ shuttle with five credits! I take it you're a swindler, though I don't know how you expected to fool anyone. _Five credits!_ You must be insane."  
  
Kuro and Kashi share a bashful glance, this is...exceedingly awkward.  
  
The alien takes his beration all too calmly, and then he just shrugs and turns with a wave, "I'll see you two around." he says, and Kuro doesn't like the way he smirks over his shoulder like the two of them are prey.   
  
"I do so despise that sort. Taking advantage of people." the alien shakes their head, deer-like and yet insect-like at the same time.  
  
_Uncanny_ is the word that comes to mind to describe them.  
  
"I saw you two almost a varga ago. You've been here some time, are you waiting for someone?" the alien asks.  
  
Kuro clears his throat and smiles sheepishly, "Ahh... _no_."  
  
The alien hums, glancing around, "You're obviously not from around here. I'm certain I've never seen a Terran in person." they say as they turn on their heel and give the shuttle a considering once-over.  
  
"You've seen... _Terrans_...before then?" Kuro asks, fairly certain that is the general term humans are referred to by most of the cosmos. The ones that know of them anyway. Humans are not all that popular of a species, what with being mere _babies_ in terms of space travel.  
  
"Only in Voltron propaganda." the alien says.  
  
Kuro lifts a brow in amusement, he remembers that debacle, though to hear its label reduced to propaganda is a _little_ irksome. That show took them a _month_ to perform in its entirety. And he remembers spraining his ankle at some point...  
  
He remembers _Shiro_ spraining it anyway...or...the other clone... _fuck_ this is confusing for him. Might as well not separate it, he figures.  
  
"There's not many of us in space. Those of us who are...we're usually here by accident." he says, and the alien turns back toward him with what he hopes he's interpreting correctly as a soft smile.  
  
"In any case...this shuttle," the alien gestures with one long finger, "I've never seen one in person, an _Altean_ shuttlecraft." they spread their arms in a display of awe and wonder.  
  
"Yeah, I don't suppose you would have." Kuro says.  
  
"Do you mind if I examine it?" they ask, timid.  
  
Kuro gestures a go-ahead, and the alien looks positively delighted as they take a step closer to the ship and draw a device from their pocket to wave it over the white metal. They murmur a curse in a language Kuro and Kashi don't know. "This is phenomenal. It hasn't aged in the slightest, I had been certain ten-thousand years would wear upon the craft. Wherever did you find one in such _perfect_ condition?"  
  
Kuro hesitates only briefly, "It belonged to a friend of mine, close friend. He...doesn't need it anymore." Kuro says, laying extra weight onto his words so the alien might catch his drift.  
  
The alien turns big black eyes upon him once again, and they nod, "I see."  
  
"I...am selling it. If you're interested. That guy was earlier but... _apparently_." Kuro prods. He's not exactly a salesperson, so he can't gauge how attractive his offer may be. He hopes it's at least tempting this alien. Kashi gives a nod from where he's sitting silent behind him when Kuro turns to look. He's probably tired, his wound is doing him no favors.  
  
The alien's body language shifts to obvious excitement, a flutter of diaphanous wings and an almost nervous fidgeting of its fingers. Though it does second guess his offer almost immediately.  
  
"Why would you sell it if it belonged to a friend? I would assume you'd be sentimental."  
  
Kuro shakes his head, "At this point, food, medicine, and a comfortable bed would be preferable to sentimentality." he says as he moves to sit once more and takes Kashi's hand, it seems to startle his companion, and he stares down at their joined hands while Kuro continues on. He can see that the alien has noticed Kashi's plight.  
  
"I suppose it would." the alien concedes after a moment, "This ship is quite valuable, almost priceless, despite only being a shuttle." they say, "I never expected to come across such a craft in my lifetime. I am certain my collection would benefit greatly from such a specimen."  
  
"You collect shuttles?" Kashi asks, voice hoarse, and Kuro performs a double-take. He's a more than a little pale now, at least Kuro thinks he is. He really hopes they can get him to a doctor of some sort soon.  
  
The alien laughs, a chittering cadence that would sound disturbing if one was alone in a dark room. "I collect ships, young Terran. And while a shuttle is admittedly mediocre in comparison, this...this is a _relic_. The Alteans are _still_ legendary even now for their genius in science." they sound almost wistful as they speak, even tilting their head to the stars and giving what seems like a smile.  
  
Kuro shares a glance with Kashi and at his encouraging gesture he presses on, "So...you'd like to buy it, then?"  
  
"Indeed. Now, unlike that ruffian, I shall ask...what would you take for it?"  
  
Kuro scoots closer to the edge of the bench, "What would you be willing to _offer?"_ he tests, still uncertain of how to make a fair deal, he really should have taken some time to learn the currency most aliens use.  
  
The alien looks toward the ship again, "Would you take two-hundred credits?"  
  
Kuro and Kashi both give twin frowns, they're both still in the dark about this currency, and Kashi sheepishly says, "We're not exactly sure how much that i _s?"_  
  
The alien tilts its head, curious, "Oh. My, if I hadn't gotten here in time you _actually_ might have sold this for a meager five credits! Wouldn't you?"  
  
Kuro and Kashi could only look cowed.  
  
The alien hums, "I wonder how you got this far without knowing the universal currency."  
  
Kuro smiles, still sheepish as ever, "We...grew up on a different currency."  
  
The alien is silent for a moment before they turn to point at a large, intricate ship across the docking bay, "That ship there, weaponized and a likely carrying capacity of perhaps a hundred for a crew, that would sell for twenty credits, to give you perspective."  
  
Kuro and Kashi peek over simultaneously in interest. "You're saying...that ship over there, is worth ninety times _less_ than what you're offering?"  
  
The alien gives a nod.  
  
"Okay, but, how can we be sure that's true?" Kashi asks.  
  
The alien gives another chuckle, "You may ask anyone here, they would tell you the same." they gesture toward the crowd, and Kuro tentatively stands to do as instructed.  
  
He approaches a random person, and they give him a disdainful look, though upon asking what the ship the alien had pointed out was worth, he is given a curt answer and then the alien spins on their heel and walks away.  
  
"Rude." Kuro sighs, and then he checks with one more person before he comes back, though the alien that had approached them in interest was right. It is an impressive sum that they are offering. "Well, in any case, that seems fair to us." Kuro says, and Kashi raises his brows in surprise.  
  
The alien looks positively delighted, and they produce a slim, tablet device from a pocket Kuro hadn't even noticed was there. "Absolutely wonderful! I can assure you it will be in good hands." they say as they begin typing, and then they seem to think better of it, "I wouldn't suppose you have an account to deposit this in?"  
  
Kuro shakes his head, "No, I...guess not."  
  
"I'll have to withdraw it, then." they say, tapping away rapidly. "One moment."  
  
Kuro shifts in place and glances back at Kashi, of whom is leaning back against the bench and sweating lightly. Shit. He is not doing well. Kuro has been seeing the signs for a while, of course, he knows how well he hides his own ailments. Though there's only so far one can go hiding a stab wound, especially whilst starving.  
  
"If you could put a signature here," the alien gently taps a long, slender finger at Kuro's shoulder, and he jumps, if ever so slightly.  
  
"Of course." Kuro says as he takes a slim stylus from them and writes a delicate K on the line indicated.  
  
"Thank you." the alien is definitely smiling now, and the device produces another item, a small chip, almost like a thin USB. "This holds your credits. I would exercise caution, and I wouldn't go around advertising just how much is on here if I were you." they say, "Most merchants will have a reader, you just insert it and it withdraws your total. I also recommend you learn some basics on the currency, for your own sake." they hand it over, and Kuro tucks it into his suit collar, snug against his neck.  
  
"Thank you. You're a _literal_ lifesaver." he says, glancing at the shuttle once more, the only connection to Keith he and Kashi have left. It didn't hit him until now just what exactly this ship represented. "Could I get some information off the shuttle, before you take it?"  
  
The alien shifts, seeming a bit suspicious, though they give a nod, and Kuro gestures for Kashi to stay while he proceeds.  
  
He strokes a hand over the hull as he makes his way inside, and he extracts one simple file onto a standard storage device, of which he found while rummaging through the ship. It's the Castleship's signature, something they can scan for, maybe even find Voltron.  
  
And he remembers last minute...  
  
There’s a bittersweet smile upon his lips as he downloads the backup of the shuttle's latest communications.  
  
A small snippet of Keith's voice for the road. He's listened to the playback so many times by now the number has blurred in his head. And it still hurts but he needs to hear it, to _keep_ hearing it. He figures Kashi probably did the same when he himself slept.  
  
He wipes the data as soon as it's backed up on the device. Best not leave any evidence on the shuttle. He turns on his heel to leave, though not without looking back through the small cargo area and heaving a deep sigh. This will be the last familiar sight for him and Kashi for a while.  
  
As he steps outside he gives the alien a pleasant smile, "I hope you enjoy it." he says, and the alien gives another full-body flutter of excitement.  
  
"I'm certain I will! I hardly imagined a find at all - let alone this rare - when I docked." they say, "I wish you well."  
  
Kuro goes to collect Kashi, who puts on his _'I'm perfectly fine don't worry about me'_ face when Kuro lends him a hand to hoist him to his feet.  
  
"You're not fooling me." Kuro murmurs as he wraps his arm around his shoulders, and Kashi hisses, clutching his side as he usually does.  
  
"Wha-I'm...not _trying_ to." Kashi says in a breathy chuckle... _transparent_.  
  
"What did we say about lying to us?" Kuro teases, making his way around the bustling crowd and holding Kashi close. Food would be great, but Kashi needs attention first, so he searches for someone wearing what looks like official clothing, maybe a staff member on the docks.  
  
"That we're utterly transparent cause we...we know ourselves like the back of our hand?" Kashi snorts.  
  
Kuro smiles down at him where he's limping at his side, "Something like that."  
  
Kashi just smiles back, brows twisted in pain.  
  
It takes a while of wandering, but they find an alien that directs them to a medical ward, and once there Kashi's infection is treated. He's actually healing well, the doctor tells them, but there's only so much sealing a wound can do for recovery, and the prolonged staunching was a hindrance over time rather than a help. So she removes it after numbing the area, thank god.  
  
Kuro can only hope the same medical procedures safely apply to species all across the spectrum. Though their doctor wasn't too unusual, catlike in a different manner from the Galra, but mostly humanoid in form.  
  
In any case his worries seemed to prove unwarranted.  
  
Now Kashi was stitched up and recovering with instructions not to do anything too strenuous for three cycles.  
  
"Feels familiar." Kashi says at one point, thumbing at the fresh bandages around his ribs, and Kuro's heart swoops with the reminder. The doctor had just left the room after those instructions, telling Kuro that she was fetching a medicine for Kashi, for the pain. "I...I wonder if-"  
  
"I think these doctors would have picked that up." Kuro interrupts, quiet and unsure, "They're more advanced than Earth doctors."  
  
Kashi's frown deepens and Kuro grabs his hand in an assuring squeeze.  
  
" _Hey_...we'll be alright." he says.  
  
Kashi nods, though his smile does not return, and it makes a weight settle in Kuro's stomach.  
  
Kuro pays the doctor when she returns and then they immediately make for the nearest restaurant after a helpful tip from a passerby. They order whatever looks good, no matter what gross shit it could be made of. They're far too eager to satisfy the hunger that's been lurking in their bellies for days.  
  
"I never thought food could smell so good. I don't think I've ever _drooled_ like this before." Kashi exaggerates, wiping imaginary saliva from his lips. His mood isn't as dour as it was in the medical ward, and seeing it makes Kuro chuckle softly.  
  
"Almost a week without would probably do that to you." he says, tapping incessantly at the table while they wait. Smelling it just makes his stomach burn even more, heavily unpleasant.  
  
"I really hope this is edible." Kashi says as a plate of food is finally placed before the both of them.  
  
"I don't care if I get diarrhea, this'll be way better than food goo in any case." Kuro says, stabbing his utensil into the foreign meat and savoring it with a deep sigh.  
  
"I think diarrhea should be the _least_ of your worries when eating alien food." Kashi says, mimicking him and promptly going slack as he practically moans in satisfaction. "Like...uh... _mm_...I forgot what I was going to say." he finishes, taking another bite and looking for all the world like a man drugged and delighted with it.  
  
"Careful, you look a little _orgasmic_ there." Kuro teases, snickering when Kashi chucks a packet of some sort at him, probably the equivalent of sugar. Space sugar.  
  
"Look who's talking." Kashi smiles, and Kuro shrugs.  
  
"So, after this," he says around a mouthful, and Kashi doesn't seem to mind his impropriety, he only swirls his fork in some mushy substance that tastes like a mimic of fried rice. "We should get some new clothes. Walking around with bloodstains probably isn't the best way to go about."  
  
Kashi nods, swallowing his mouthful and taking a drink of the water provided before he replies. "And weapons."  
  
"And bags."  
  
"And a ship." Kashi points out, "Something not too big, but...you know-"  
  
" _Big_." Kuro says.  
  
"I was going to say _livable_." Kashi says in amusement. "Comfortable. But efficient, hopefully fast too."  
  
Kuro can't respond for the mouthful of food he has within the next few seconds.  
  
"We'll need a map too, stock up on food."  
  
"Sounds like we're going on vacation." Kuro says, taking a gulp of water and a break from eating to let his stomach settle. He distantly remembers a saying about eating too fast on an empty stomach.  
  
"If you count the possibilities of running into space pirates a _vacation_." Kashi mutters, stabbing a bit of meat with his fork.  
  
"And Galra." Kuro says, and then he pauses, "Oh, right. I forgot about Lotor, never mind."  
  
Kashi chuckles softly, "Yeah, I think they should be fairly friendly for the most part. Unless we run into Ha-"  
  
Kuro looks up at his pause, and Kashi looks uncomfortable, twisting his features and staring down at his plate.  
  
"Never mind."  
  
Kuro stares at him a moment longer before he lets it drop. He knows that sometimes it's best to let a matter stew for a bit before you talk on it. He's got plenty of experience in that when it comes to Keith.  
  
He ducks his head at the fond smile he finds himself wearing with the memory. That boy was a tough nut to crack, walls built so thick he had to worm his way in over the course of a few months. Of course, Keith wasn't _difficult_ , just withdrawn. Earning his trust and his friendship had been like a medal of honor he wished to be worn around his neck at all times.  
  
Funny how Kashi and he are the same person, but he feels like he needs to handle him with kid gloves, as if they could break this deep, natural trust between them so easily.  
  
In lieu of digging deeper into fears he's certain he could guess, and can surely understand, he reaches across the short table and grasps onto Kashi's hand where it lays.  
  
"In any case," Kuro says, and Kashi blinks down at his hand for a moment before his gaze - shining silver and haunted with shared memories - turns to him. "Let's finish up, yeah?" Kuro says in a smile, "I'd prefer to be on a ship and on our merry way as soon as we can manage it."  
  
Kashi's lips quirk ever so slightly, and he gives a singular nod, ducking his head to take a bite of his food. "Sounds good." he murmurs.  
  
•  
•  
  
Clothing is the first thing they buy. They browse for a full varga, and after dressing themselves they do find that they have slightly different taste in clothing. Granted they still share a liking for tight underclothes and vests. Though Kuro sports a scarf now (claiming he gets cold easily) and Kashi doesn't like how constricting they feel, so he opts for a jacket instead, strikingly similar to the one he had when he used to race with Keith. That used to be his favorite. Looking in the mirror after they've finished (and bought a few extras for good measure) Kashi is pleased to feel like a new man.  
  
_Heh._  
  
(That will be a source of amusement for a while now)  
  
Satchels and harnesses and weapons come next. Kashi settles for a rifle, and at Kuro's encouragement they buy twin handguns. Kashi watches in fascination when Kuro finds a simple "plasma-blade" as the salesman calls it. It's remarkably similar to an Earthen broadsword, besides the fact it's...well, made of plasma. It's highly convenient, in any case, one just needs to carry the handle, buckled into a tiny sheath that Kuro attaches to a belt on his hip.  
  
The last thing on their list is a stockpile of food and water, but as Kashi points out to Kuro - as they stand in the middle of the marketplace and try to figure out where to go - they'll need a place to _put it_ first.  
  
Kuro sighs, tracing a finger over the typical map that depicts a star saying "This is You!" and then the rest of the level with a key for different markers. At least that's what Kashi _assumes_ it says, he doesn't speak...whatever that language is. Nonetheless, it feels like an Earth mall.  
  
"Back to the docks, then." Kuro says.  
  
"Yup." Kashi says, rubbing over his hidden bandages, the pills help with the pain but there's still a sharp ache that debilitates him. Makes him limp softly as he trails behind Kuro.  
  
"Something livable..." Kuro continues in a murmur under his breath, leading at a steady pace and checking over his shoulder at Kashi with concern masked behind a warm smile. It's a tactic he often used on Keith.  
  
"Feels like looking for an apartment." Kashi says as they make their way back to the docks.  
  
"It'll need weapons." Kuro says, "Someplace to sleep."  
  
"A kitchen?" Kashi teases.  
  
Kuro scoffs a laugh, they know they're terrible cooks. "Well, we'll still need to heat things up, cook stuff. Even if we suck."  
  
"And nothing too bulky. We need to be able to make quick exits and tight turns. Just in case." Kashi continues.  
  
"Something livable, not bulky, with weapons."  
Kuro summarizes. 

  
The docks are swarmed with people, and Kuro wonders if it's some sort of alien rush hour. He holds Kashi's hand, in any case. He doesn't want to lose him in the crowd.  
  
It takes what feels like hours of looking. They stop by a great many ships, all of which end up being too small, no weaponry, no sleeping area, a rickety shuttle...the list goes on.  
  
Finally, they come across a triangular ship for sale, it's obviously weaponized, and it's not enormous, but upon their tour of the inside it's found to be more than decent. Upon entry to the belly of the ship they are faced with a small living area that contains some seating, bolted down and looking rather similar to couches (it's called a crew's rest, as the alien selling explains to them), what looks like a miniature kitchen and three doors that are explained to be rooms, bedrooms to be exact. Then there's the cockpit, of course, separated from the crew's rest by a thin hall, two pilot's seats, two passenger seats. Then below the crew area there is a small, but sufficient cargo bay.  
  
When asked what it is selling for the alien says they'll take no offers under ten credits, though they had been hoping for fifteen. And Kuro offers them just that. They get the deed and then they sign off on the ship, make the transaction, and they own it.  
  
It's rather unbelievable how easy it was, and to think they're the owners now. The previous owner explained that they covered the docking cost for the quintent, and they should be prepared to leave within ten vargas.  
  
Kashi makes himself comfortable and Kuro chuckles in amusement as he sprawls with a wince and a grunt upon one of the couches. "I am... _so tired."_ he rasps.  
  
Understandable, as he's been walking around all day with a stab wound. Kuro makes to sit nearby, reaching a hand out to pat his foot where it hangs over the arm of the couch. "Me too."  
  
Kashi yawns, "Do...do we have to fetch food and water _now?_ I think a nap is in order."  
  
Kuro's amusement turns into a frown, "We don't want to be in one place for longer than necessary, and at that point it would be a scramble to fetch what we need before we need to pay the next docking fee." he says, "It would be smarter to go get what we need now, and then we can leave and you can sleep while I pilot us."  
  
"Autopilot. We _both_ need the sleep." Kashi says, turning a solemn look Kuro's way.  
  
Kuro sighs, "I'll sleep too.... _if_ we fetch our supplies now."   
  
Kashi groans and lets his head thump back down to the cushion. "You drive a hard bargain." he grumbles.  
  
"We know where the market is. It should be fairly quick." Kuro says, and when Kashi closes his eyes and heaves a deep, shuddering sigh he hums in consideration. "I can go on my own, if you want."  
  
Kashi shakes his head, "Don't...you shouldn't go alone." he murmurs.  
  
"You're pretty dead on your feet as it is, and the doctor _did_ say no strenuous activity." Kuro rationalizes.  
  
"No, I'll come...just...gimme five minutes to rest." Kashi says, and Kuro smiles in amusement as he watches him just slip right into sleep within _two_ . He deserves it, he thinks as he stands and makes his way over to one of the bedrooms, delighted to know the beds are built in, like the castleship. He leaves the door open and goes to pick Kashi up, a harder task than it had been when he first awoke, what with the deterioration of his muscles. But, he can still carry him, and Kashi only stirs briefly as he gets him settled on the bed and then closes the door behind him.  
  
He'll fetch supplies on his own. Kashi truly needs the rest and he's not going to impede on his healing process for something so trivial. Regardless, he secures his weapons to be visible on his hip, he hasn't seen any hostile behavior around this port but that was when he had a companion. One can't be too careful.  
  
There's an anxiety in leaving the ship that he can only figure is borne of his worry for Kashi, and leaving the ship unsupervised in unknown territory. And Kuro stands outside the ship, staring up at one of the armored windows and sighing. He just, really hopes Kashi will be alright until he gets back. He won't be gone long, he knows but...he hasn't been separated from him ever since they both emerged from those pods.  
  
"He'll be okay." Kuro murmurs to himself, and then as he turns and strides with an air of forced confidence in the direction of the market. This is a perfect example of why food goo machine were one of the Altean's best inventions. Sure it was an acquired taste, but at least you didn't run out, and you didn't have to restock. Kuro idly wonders if they sell standard food packets in bulk. Surely they must? After all, the Galra were equipped with packets galore when he was on their mothership.  
  
Or when...Shiro was.  
  
At least that's what he learned from Lance.  
  
Kuro's frown only deepens as he approaches the market, Kashi and he...they have a plan. But...what will the Paladins do when they finally catch up to them? What will the other Shiro do? What did the other Paladins do to the _original_ clone anyway?  
  
It's unsettling to think about. But...maybe Keith - at the very least - will accept them. He may have seemed terrified when he found out what the other Shiro was, but not once did he ever treat him differently. He begged and pleaded for Shiro to see what was happening, to stop just because Keith asked him to. He...  
  
Kuro stops and leans against a wall, letting his temple thump against it while he rubs at the opposite side of his forehead.  
  
_I love you!_ _  
_  
That's what Keith had said, and... _yes_ , Kuro knows neither he nor Kashi were personally there, but he feels this memory as if he's lived it. It's so vivid and fresh, more so than his entire life memory. Which, to be fair, is another person's life. A life that was uploaded into his brain like he was a goddamn _computer_ , a robot even.  
  
That hurts to think about.  
  
Kuro shakes his head, he needs to put all these grim thoughts on the back burner for now. They're just making him sad and he has a job to do before they can leave. And he wants to leave, he wants to find the castleship and he wants to join the coalition if that's the very least they'll let him do. He doesn't know what Kashi wants, but even if they think differently, they likely both want the very same thing.  
  
Now, the only problem is, what to buy? What can they safely digest? God he hopes there are just food goo packets, that would be so simple...  
  
Kuro wanders the market for a time, and it's only after browsing for the better half of an hour that he finds something similar to food goo. He buys a little more than he thinks they'll need, and then he goes searching for some fruits and vegetables he knows they can eat. There was value in learning the Galran language, he can attest to that after finding that most items are _in_ that language. It makes sense that the universal conquerors spread their linguistics to the universe.  
  
In any case, it makes his job of identifying items he knows are safe to eat easier. And he buys a fair amount of various fruits, a few meats, and some vegetables because they'll need the variety in their diets every so often. God he already misses Hunk and he's never actually met him in person!  
  
He had wondered how he was going to carry everything, but the stores at this dock are accustomed to servicing people who come to restock their cargo holds. They all offer to deliver their goods to his docking station with a small fee of a thousand GAC, which he thinks is like the space equivalent of twenty bucks. He _thinks_ , at least...  
  
So yes, that was easy, and now they just need water and they're free to leave, to track down the castleship. Hopefully before anyone gets word of what's going on with Lotor.  
  
He does wonder what happened to _him_ too? Is he still with Haggar? Probably. But what's she going to do with him, anyway? And if he did end up escaping then...either way, he doesn't want to think of the consequences of what happened. The Galra are already two times harder to deal with as it is, what with the splinter groups and self-proclaimed rulers they've had to feel with the past three months. He can only hope that no one knows what's happened yet.  
  
It's a lucky thing that every alien they've met so far is water dependent, it would be most difficult to find pure, drinkable water if the only place they knew it was available was Earth. So that's an easy, quick task to complete, and Kuro finds himself back on his way to the ship before even two hours have passed.  
  
It's when he spots a newspaper, or a digital newspaper (a news...pad?), that he pauses. He can't quite read it, but the snapshot of the Voltron Show and some markings he recognizes to be the equivalent of question marks are apparent. He doesn't know what language it's printed in, so he picks one up and frowns at it, confused.  
  
"It's a shame."  
  
Kuro jumps, he'd been scrutinizing the thin pad too deeply to notice someone beside him.  
  
"What?" he prods, casual as he can be.  
  
The alien looks like an Olkari, or some hybrid at the very least. She points to his newspad and sighs, "That business with Voltron disappearing and all."  
  
Kuro's heart drops through his stomach and he's pretty sure he's gone pale as a ghost. What does she mean? _Disappeared?_  
  
Keith...wha...what happened to Keith?  
  
" _Ah_ ..."   
  
"I hear tell that Lotor vanished too, who knows where they went?"  
  
"When?" Kuro murmurs.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
Kuro looks at her and sets the news pad down, "When did that happen?"  
  
The Olkari woman hums, "Well, it's been four phoebes since anyone saw Voltron or the Paladins, but the news has only been official for about a phoebe." she says with a thoughtful look, "Like I said, it's a shame, and my grandfather was among the scientists they freed, too." she says as she turns to leave.  
  
Kuro gulps and stares down at the news pads. It's been four months.  
  
Four, whole months, since that fight at the facility. _Fuck_ .  
  
He's feeling lightheaded, but he doesn't stop to rest, he just turns to run to the ship.  
  
God he knew it had to have been a little while, what with the one clone he found that didn't make it. But he never could have imagined...  
  
And worse off, Voltron is missing? How? _Why?_ _  
_  
And then he remembers what his other clone said.  
  
What he _did_ .  
  
“ _By now, the others are all gone. I saw to it myself.”_ _  
_  
Kuro makes it to the ship just as the carrier that had delivered their water leaves, and he makes himself busy carting everything into the cargo hold which - blessedly - is low to the ground and has a door. Upon locking it up he wipes at his eyes and then he manages to make it inside before he breaks down.  
  
He expected a lot. He expected this would be hard, but the possibility of there not even being a Voltron to _find?_ And...Keith wasn't even with them, he doesn't know what happened to Keith but he knows the facility was falling apart when his _'feed'_ was cut off. What the everloving fuck is going on?  
  
" _Kuro!_ I told you not to go out alone... _hey_ ."  
  
Kuro stiffens and lifts his head up from his knees, just barely. He doesn't make eye contact with Kashi, he's too busy formulating what he's going to say.  
  
"I...we're all set to go." he murmurs.  
  
Kashi's boots come into view and he sinks to his knees before him. "I suspected as much. But...what's wrong?"  
  
Kuro turns his head away, frowning deeply and wiping at his eyes, "I..." is all he manages. He shakes his head and stands, making his way to the cockpit and sitting down, strapping himself in, and gesturing that Kashi do the same. "Let's get out of here." he says.  
  
Kashi is quiet, pushing a button here and there and glancing worriedly at Kuro every minute or so, but he doesn't speak a word while he pilots the ship away from the port.  
  
Kuro lets the silence linger while he takes that storage device from his pocket and plugs it into the port. Finding the castle's signature is easy, though it doesn't register on the scanner and his heart sinks.  
  
"Kashi." he begins, and his companion goes still. "Kashi remember what the other clone did?"  
  
Kashi is silent for a moment, "What...which...what are you referring to?"  
  
"Kashi...he said...he uploaded that virus. Remember?"  
  
Kashi shifts in his seat, "Y-yeah."  
  
"Voltron is _missing_ ." Kuro says, and he doesn't like the way his voice breaks, it's a tell that he's just completely wrecked by this news. "Has been for months."  
  
Kashi doesn't respond for long enough that Kuro risks a glance in his direction.  
  
He's staring down at his lap and his eyes are sad, his thumb rubbing what seems to be comforting circles over his own hand.  
  
"What are we gonna do?" Kuro prods.  
  
"I don't know." Kashi sighs, "We..we don't know if they're dead."  
  
"But they _could_ be." Kuro says, desperation leaking through the cracks in his barely contained facade as he grits his teeth in frustration.  
  
"We don't know. We _can't_ know. And Keith...Keith wasn't with them." Kashi continues.  
  
Kuro's hands tighten on the handles of the steering.  
  
Kashi sets his own hand over Kuro's, and he exhales a shaky breath he hadn't realized he was holding.  
  
"Kuro... _hey_ ."  
  
Kuro looks at him, utterly heartbroken, scared, anxious.  
  
Kashi just smiles at him, "Let's not rush to conclusions." he says, tightening his hold on Kuro's hand. "We have to find them first, hopefully alive. That's the best we can hope for right now. And we don't know if Keith made it back before they disappeared. He could be out there doing the very same thing, we could find him _too_ . We just-" Kashi cuts himself off with a shuddering sigh, " _We can't give up on them."_ _  
_  
Kuro takes his words in, lets them settle into a comforting weight in his belly, and then he heaves a weary sigh, nodding as he slumps back into his seat. "Okay." he rasps.  
  
Kashi stands from his seat, they're well on their way out of the range of that station by now, and he plots a course to the nearest system. "We'll rest for now, put her on autopilot and go to sleep, Kuro. You need it."  
  
Kuro doesn't quite agree, but his logical side knows that he would do the same to Kashi if their reactions had been reversed. God it's hard to argue with your own logic. He listens without too much fuss, he fakes a few begrudged noises and waves Kashi's hands away a couple times, but he let's him settle him in one of the rooms.  
  
"I'm going to eat, and then I'll head to bed too." Kashi says, standing by the door. "Promise me you'll sleep. Even if it's just for a few hours."  
  
Kuro stares at him a moment, somewhat stunned by just how desperate Kashi seems to be when it comes to his wellbeing. God, have they always been like this?  
  
He eventually nods, smiling sightly, "I'll try my best."  
  
Kashi hums, and then he lets the door close behind him.  
  
Kuro spends a long time staring at the ceiling, waiting for sleep. His thoughts are running a mile a minute, he has no idea how they're going to find Voltron, to find the other Paladins. Where in the universe could they be? And _missing?_  
  
He doesn't know much, but he does know this, Lotor...Lotor had an uncanny knack for tracking them down wherever they went. He was smart like that, advanced enough to do so, and perhaps...maybe even with his dark secret, he might work with Kuro and Kashi. Just _maybe_ ...  
  
Yes. He's certain. If they want to find Voltron, they will need to find Lotor first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw...this is a mildly slow burn so no smut or kissing for a few chapters XD 
> 
> But _soon_ my loves.
> 
> About the currency, a Credit basically represents an amount of Gac, (I am no economist and I'm no mathematician. I'm bullshitting my way through this so yeah don't @ me for inconsistencies). And like, $10 would be equal to roughly 1,200 Gac and 1 credit would be equal to a million Gac but that's only like $10k it's weird and it made sense when I did the math but basically they got paid like the space equivalent of $2 mil for that shuttle lol. Dunno if that makes sense to y'all but *shrug* 
> 
> Might make no sense lol I looked back at my notes from when I figured it out and I'm scratching my head even tho I'm the one who made it! lol

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on: [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Crazyaniknowit)  
> 


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